One Life to Live
by UijinMiyazaki
Summary: Hitomi Takeshima is an ordinary high schooler. But recently she's had instances where her body freezes up, and she's unable to move. She's also taken an interest in Zero Kiryuu, the scariest person in the grade, and she can't help it. Due to an incident, she's transferred to Cross Academy, a prestigious high school. But is there more than just the Day and Night Classes?
1. One Life to Live -Chapter 1-

A/N: Hey guys! I'm here with another story just to keep people reading while they wait for other stories (mine or otherwise) to be updated. I honestly don't know how these stories are turning out, but hopefully they're coming well! Without further ado, here's the first chapter of One Life to Live, my first actual fanfiction with Vampire Knight!

* * *

-PROLOGUE-

_"You're going to be okay. Just keep breathing,Hitomi,"_

_Everything was a blur, like something was in my eyes. I tried to look around, but I had no energy._

_"What's happening?" I wanted to scream, but my chest was tight; it felt like I couldn't breathe._

_"Let's get her to the ER. We'll stabilize her there."_

I awoke to the sound of shallow breaths. My eyes opened slowly, trying to adjust to the brightness of the room.

"Oh, thank goodness you're awake, Hitomi!"

I knew that voice; it was my mother's. I could feel her sitting at the side of my bed.

"It was really bad this time. You fell during school and there was no one around when it happened." she explained.

I glanced at her, seeing the truth in her eyes behind the heavy tears.

_Please, Mom. Don't cry like that. It's not your fault._

"I'm just so glad we made it in time!" The tears continued to fall as she smiled down at me.

I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and scream at her, tell her not to smile or show false happiness, to not cry in front of me as if I was already dead, but I couldn't regain control of my body; all I could do was lie on the hospital bed without saying or doing a single thing.

_Why me? _I couldn't help but ask myself. _Why did I have to get this disease instead of someone else?_

* * *

-6 MONTHS EARLIER-

"Hitomi, hurry up! You're going to be late for school!" my mom called from downstairs.

I was groggy and tired, but I woke up anyway, since it it was the beginning of the new semester, and I couldn't risk being late and taking part in morning exercises.

_That's right,_ I thought, _I'll be entering high school this semester._

Being a high schooler was completely different than being a grade schooler; all of a sudden, people cared about how they looked, who they talked to, how they spent their time, all those insignificant details that made life complicated. I say this, but I'm also one of those people. High school was another chance for me to start over again and set my own path.

I must have been looking in the mirror too long admiring my uniform; it was much different that my middle school uniform—much more pronounced and vibrant—because my mom was yelling from the kitchen repeatedly.

"Hitomi! Come on! You'll be late!"

I grabbed my schoolbag, jumped down the stairs, and ran out the door while putting my shoes on.

"I'm off!" I exclaimed as I began to ride my bike.

"Have a safe trip, and don't forget to eat something!" my mom said as she watched me leave.

Tori High School was about a fifteen-minute bike ride from my house, which wasn't so bad compared to walking from home. I decided to apply to Tori High because it was one of the top-ranking high schools in the prefecture, and because my friends Miyuko and Yui applied there. We'd been in the same classes since preschool, and we've always tried to continue that until we graduated and left for college.

The bike ride went by fairly quick, and I found myself at the entrance gate of Tori High School, where I got off and walked beside my bike to meet up with Miyuko and Yui before the entrance ceremony began.

"Hitomi! There you are!"

Someone behind me tackled me to the ground in a giant hug. It hurt, but when I saw who it was I felt that being glomped to the ground was worth it.

"Yui, you could be normal and hug me after I see you..." I breathed.

Yui helped me up and smiled. "That's not fun," she said, "And that's not me."

I shrugged. It was true; Yui was someone who went against the norm and stayed that way no matter what other people thought of her.

"You guys haven't changed at all." Miyuko came from the other direction and poked my cheek.

"Neither have you. And don't poke my cheek when I haven't turned my head to look at you yet." I rubbed my cheek to ease the pain; Miyuko's cheek pokes were more like deadly jabs.

"Love you too. Come on, we'll be late for the ceremony." Miyuko dragged us to the gym as she said it.

**April 2, 8:00 AM**

**Nikki-e,**

**The school year has finally started, making me officially a high schooler! I've been waiting so long for this, and now that it's finally happening my thoughts are jumbled. Now that I'm a high schooler, I can start all over again and do things I never thought I'd do as a grade schooler. It's kind of scary to think that I'm getting older every year, but I hope to enjoy it to the best of my ability!**

**It's only the start of the second day, but popularity contests have already begun. Not that I care. Anyways, I guess I've been chosen as the female class representative. The male representative is a guy named Zero Kiryuu, and he looks like he doesn't talk much. I don't know why, but he keeps giving everyone really cold stares. Whenever he glares at me it gives me the shivers, but I just ignore him. He's kind of hard to ignore, because he sits right behind me, and I'm pretty sure he whispers to himself.**

**I'm not being judgmental, but Kiryuu-kun seems like someone I should avoid as much as possible, so I will. I feel like I'm writing too much about him, so I'll stop writing right now. Class is about to start anyway.**

I closed my diary, glad to get all my thoughts out before the teacher came in and started to take attendance. It was also kind of frustrating, too, because the teacher, Tohru-sensei, was the kind of creeper who would read someone's deepest secrets if he ever got his hands on them; I've had to be extra careful to hide my diary during the school day just in case.

"Alright, everyone, settle down," Tohru-sensei began, "I'd like the class reps to pass out the future aspiration forms."

Kiryuu-kun and I stood up as the class gave a collective groan. It seemed funny to me; all of us have in mind what we want for our future, but we don't want to write it down and make it set in stone.

Tohru-sensei set the forms on his desk for us to hand out. I gave Kiryuu-kun his stack to hand out, and our fingers accidentally touched. I looked up at him, scared that he'd give me a glare even icier than all the ones he's given before, but instead I saw a mixture of slight surprise, anger, and fear in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," I bowed a little and turned away, not understanding the emotions that he felt. _I guess I'll just ignore it; it's not something I should worry about or poke my nose into,_ I thought as I passed out the forms.

Looking at the form, it wasn't much of a big deal to begin with; in its simple format, it was an assortment of questions regarding future career, college choices, occupation, and the like, as well as some pertaining to personality and ideal life. Sitting in front of my own form after passing out the rest, I filled it out with ease, barely giving myself room for second thoughts. I've always had in mind what I wanted my future to be; going to college at Tokyo University, becoming a middle school teacher with a high degree, marrying someone who'd love me for who I was and create my own family, making as many memories of my life as possible before those final moments in old age.

"Well, you sure have high ambitions," someone hovered above me.

"There's nothing wrong with hoping, Kiryuu-kun. What about you? Did you fill out your form?"

There was a slight pause. I took the chance to turn and face him, only to find his face inches from mine. The look in his eyes was like he was restraining himself from something, filled with a strong force of emotions.

It felt strange; his face was just inches from mine, and I didn't feel scared. My instincts told me to scream and run, but looking into his eyes, filled with so many emotions, I just couldn't; besides, it would be troublesome to explain myself later.

"...mi. Hitomi. Hey, Hitomi!"

"Eh?" I looked around, semi-dazed. The classroom was mostly empty, save for Yui and Miyuki, who were waiting near the door, looking at me like I'd died.

"What happened?" I asked, still half asleep.

"You were dead asleep all through class, and the teacher was really mad. You have supplementary classes after school today and for the rest of the week."

I turned my head around. "Kiryuu-kun?" Why are you still..."

He smiled. "You're not the only one who sleeps in class. I've got supplementary lessons too."

That was a surprise; it was funny how Kiryuu-kun always slept through class and kept the highest grades in the class. At the same time, it was pretty amazing, too.

I turned to Yui and Miyuki. "Sorry, you two. I guess I won't be able to come today, though we had things planned." I apologized.

Miyuki smiled. "Don't worry. It's important for you to study. Exams are coming up, so we can hold off our plans until afterwards."

"Thanks, Miyuki, you're such a big help."

"No problem. Come on, Yui, let's go." Miyuki dragged her from the classroom as they made fun of eachother on the way home.

I sighed, thinking of how great it was to have best friends like them.

"You do realize supplementary classes don't start for another hour, right?" Kiryuu-kun remarked.

"Of course I know. It's unnecessary for them stay longer than the end of school. Besides, if they don't go home their parents worry." I replied.

"Then what are you going to do until classes start?"

"I'll just walk around the halls for a while." I started to get up, but something stopped me; like my feet were glued to the ground. It spread to the rest of my body, rendering me unable to move at all.

Kiryuu-kun noticed the hesitation. "What's wrong? I thought you were heading out." he said simply.

The stiffness that plagued my body was gone almost as fast as it came. "I am, I guess I just sat too long." With that I practically ran out the door, leaving my bag and coat behind.

I somehow ended up inside the girls' bathroom, but it was relaxing to be alone for some time. I quickly turn the faucet on to wash my face.

"There's no need for you to wash only your face," a girl's voice said behind me.

Suddenly I was pushed inside one of the stalls and locked in.

"Who is that? What are you doing?" I banged on the door as hard as I could, trying to get out.

"Oh, stop it. No one can hear you. We're the only ones here," was another girl.

"What do you want from me? I haven't done anything to you."

"Don't act so innocent, Hitomi-chan. We know what you're trying to do."

An abrupt burst of cold, semi-dirty water came from over the stall door, landing on my head. It surprised me, but now I was drenched, despite covering my head with my arms.

"Don't ever try to get close to Kiryuu-kun. He's ours." The sound of the bucket falling to the ground was followed by footsteps as the girls walked out, leaving me locked inside the stall.

"Hey! Let me out!" I banged on the door again, this time harder, hoping someone would hear. The water's chill went through my skin, sending shivers down my body. My knees gave way, not allowing any more energy to be spent. I sat there, shivering from the cold, the water beneath me not helping either.

"Hitomi! Where are you?" a voice called. It sounded close yet distant, but I couldn't answer back because I had no energy left. All I could do was sit there against the wall and wait for the voice to come closer.

The bathroom door slammed open, a pair of feet walked in. The stall door clicked as it unlocked, revealing Zero Kiryuu-kun himself.

"Hitomi? What happened here?" He helped me stand, since I was too exhausted to do so myself.

"Gosh, you're freezing." There was the ruffled sounds of clothing, and a jacket on my shoulders.

I was in a terrible state; I didn't notice how badly I was shivering until Kiryuu-kun put his arms around me to steady my weight.

"How did this happen?" he asked.

I looked at him with a half-tired, half-incredulous look. "Why does it matter to you? I'm just someone in your class. You don't know me at all." I didn't like saying it, but it had to be said.

His expression was unreadable. "I didn't want to be the only one to listen to a boring sensei reteach a lesson that the both of us slept through the first time. That's all there is to it."

I was quiet for what seemed like a long time.

"I seriously am going to drop you if you keep saying nothing." Kiryuu-kun was carrying me back to the classroom, where I thankfully had an extra pair of clothes in my bag.

"What am I supposed to say? I'm tired, I'm wet, and I'm cold. There. Happy?" I wasn't in the mood to talk, not after those girls just dumped a giant bucket of water on me.

Kiryuu-kun never said a word after that.

When we entered the classroom, he set me down.

"I'll wait outside while you change," he said.

I gave him a nod, then quickly closed the door behind him. I stood there for a moment, letting my feet get used to the ground, then ran to my bag. As I unzipped it, something fell out. I bent down to pick it up, and realized it was a shred of cloth.

"Oh, no." I rummaged through my bag and pulled out the extra clothes; they were torn to shreds by what looked to be scissors. I tossed them aside and realized something else: my diary wasn't in my bag.

"This can't be happening." I felt like punching the wall, but I knew better. Instead I used the back door to leave the classroom, not realizing I dropped Kiryuu-kun's blazer behind. I didn't want to burden him any more than I already had.

As soon as I left the room I ran down the hall to all the possible place the diary could be.

"Hey, are you looking for this?"

I looked behind me, instantly recognizing the voice as one of the girls' who had locked me in the bathroom. She was holding the diary in front of her for me to see.

"Give it back. Don't you know you're not supposed to take things that aren't yours?" I didn't let the desperation slip even though it was overwhelming.

"Why don't you take your own advice and stay away from Kiryuu-kun? Besides, you don't stand a chance against us." one of the girls laughed.

The girl holding my diary flung it out the window, then held up the lock. "Oops, sorry, my hand slipped."

I didn't hear the rest of it; as soon as the diary left her hand I ran outside to where it fell.

The courtyard was almost as big as the school, surrounded by a maze of rose bushes and fields of lavender among lilies and cherry blossom trees. It didn't sound like much, but it was a place to see rather than describe.

In the center was a large rectangular waterscape, complete with a center line of fountains, which were on and shooting lazy rockets of water into the air. My diary was in the very center, open and drenched, just barely floating on the surface of the pool. Not bothering to take off my uniform jacket, I trudged into the fountain towards my diary. The fountain water, despite looking relaxed, was much higher than I expected, and in no time I was completely soaked through. Again.

_Well, at least the fountain water's better than bathroom water, right?_ I thought sarcastically.

I grabbed my diary just before it sank. Not that it helped. Flipping through the drenched pages, the water from the rockets hid the tears that fell. All the ink was smudged, destroying all those years of memories that I only kept to myself and on the pages. All the frustrations I vented, the thoughts that passed; all of it was gone.

I trudged my way out of the fountain, but slipped and fell face-first into the water. I didn't realize how deep the fountain actually was, or how it sloped deeper, like a swimming pool. To make matters worse, I was never the best swimmer, and gave up trying to learn.

So I was basically drowning. In a fountain. The only thing that was going through my head was, _What a great way to die._

Somewhere in the back of my subconscious, I heard someone shout my name, then splashes that came closer. My vision was blurring from the tears I cried and the exhaustion I felt, so I couldn't see the person's face when they were right above me; all I saw was a hazy shadow.

"You're so hopeless," it was a guy's voice, one that I recognized, but it sounded distant and was hard to pinpoint. He lifted me up in his arms, and a rush of cold air hit me, made me feel worse.

Sputtering and coughing, I tried to look up at his face, but my head felt impossibly heavy, so I rested it against his chest instead.

He carried me over to a bench and lay me there, then crouched next to me on the floor.

"Hey, don't close your eyes. Just stay awake. Look at me." His hands cupped my face and turned it toward his. They were warm, which made me want to sleep, but I didn't.

His eyes were the only vivid thing I could see; they were a piercing lilac, with a hint of silver. He took his hand to his mouth and then placed it in mine, filling it with a warm liquid. I drank, feeling the warmth disperse to the rest of my body, and then everything went black.


	2. One Life to Live -Chapter 2-

A/N: Here's Chapter 2 of One Life to Live!

* * *

Recap:

"Hey, don't close your eyes. Just stay awake. Look at me." His hands cupped my face and turned it toward his. They were warm, which made me want to sleep, but I didn't.

His eyes were the only vivid thing I could see; they were a piercing lilac, with a hint of silver. He took his hand to his mouth and then placed it in mine, filling it with a warm liquid. I drank, feeling the warmth disperse to the rest of my body, and then everything went black.

* * *

"Is she going to be okay?"

"Relax. I saved her just before she drowned."

"Well, it's good that you found her in time."

The voices were close yet distant, a constant, echoing murmur in my ears. I slowly opened my eyes and found people on either side of me: on my right was Kiryuu-kun, who I recognized immediately by his eyes; and on my left was a girl with short, brown hair, a small face, and a look of deep worry. Behind her was a man with a ponytail and glasses, dressed like it was always winter.

"Ah, I'm so glad you're awake," the girls sighed in relief. "We weren't sure when you'd wake up."

"Can you sit up?" Kiryuu-kun asked.

I tried to push myself up but didn't have the energy. Kiryuu-kun helped me up gently, keeping a semi-firm grip on my shoulders as I sat up.

I looked around, finally noticing my surroundings. The room I was in was rather large and spacious, with just two juxtaposed beds on one side and two desks on the far sides of the walls on the other. The walls were bare, except for small yet elegant lighting fixtures on the wall-sides, and a chandelier of lights draping from the ceiling. In between the beds was a small nightstand, which now had a glass of water and a bowl of rice topped with curry.

My attention quickly shifted once the Glasses Man started talking to me.

"I'm sure you must be wondering where you are, dear. But I assure you, there's nothing to be afraid of. I am Kaien Cross, Headmaster of Cross Academy. This here is my daughter, Yuki Cross. And I'm sure you've met Kiryuu by now."

I nodded, "We go to the same high school. But why are we here? Where are we, exactly?"

I must have had the most confused face ever, because the Headmaster broke into a smile. "Why, dear Hitomi, you are at Cross Academy, of course! I'm sorry this is such short notice, but you've been transferred to here from your previous school. No need to worry, your parents are aware and consented to the transfer, because this is one of the finest schools in the country."

I realized the smile was out of kindness rather than amusement, so I relaxed a bit. "How do you know my name?"

"Kiryuu told us about you. In fact, had it not been for him, you would have drowned in the courtyard fountain almost immediately."

The mention of the fountain suddenly brought a thought to my mind. "My diary, and my bag, where are they?" I asked in slight panic.

The headmaster rested a hand on my shoulder. "They're safe, dear. We've salvaged what we could, but I'm afraid the diary is beyond help."

I knew that, because I remembered the overwhelming sadness I felt when I saw the words turn to nothing but ink blots across pages.

"We still managed to convince the police to let us keep it, because I know it's really important to you," Kiryuu-kun remarked. It made me feel better, even if there wasn't any emotion in his voice.

"I'm thankful for everything, but where will I stay?"

"Relax, Hitomi-chan. At the moment, all our dorm rooms are full, so for the time being, you'll be roommates with Zero-kun."

I looked at the headmaster with surprise. "With Kiryuu-kun? Here?"

"I don't see anything wrong with it. Besides, he's the only person in this room anyway."

I was sure of two things; either they weren't thinking about the dangers of a girl living in the same room as a guy, or they knew but there wasn't a choice. Considering the school I was in, I went with the latter.

"I guess it can't be helped," I sighed. "Well, I'm in your care again, Kiryuu-kun."

He didn't say anything in response, but I didn't feel bad. I could see it was hard for him, too.

"Well, if you'd like to freshen up, the bath's ready," Yuuki-san broke the awkward moment.

"Thank you, Yuuki-san." I started to get up, but almost collapsed as soon as I tried.

The headmaster handed me the bowl on the nightstand. "Eat this," he encouraged. "You'll get your energy back. You've been out for almost four days."

Well, no wonder.

I ate the rice slowly so I wouldn't get cramps, then sipped the water down. I felt much better.

"I guess I should take a bath. Then, I'll be using it first." This time it was easier to stand, and made my way towards the bathroom door, aware that the headmaster, Yuuki-san, and Kiryuu-kun were watching. I was about to shut the door when I looked back. "I don't have any extra clothes."

"They're inside already. They might not fit right, but you can buy some when you go into town tomorrow." Yuuki-san smiled.

"Oh, okay. Thank you, Yuuki-san."

"Don't be so formal. Call me Yuuki."

I nodded and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind me. There was a square tub filled with hot water that was calling for me. _Come here. It's relaxing. You'll feel better,_ it whispered.

I studied myself in the mirror first; to say the least, I was a mess. My hair was a bird's nest, with clumps of tangled hair jutting out in random spots; my eyes were red and dry, and had unnaturally dark circles underneath; my face was still pale, but I could see a little color coming back after I ate.

After I stripped my old uniform, I stepped into the water and sank in until only my head was above the water. The bath wasn't too hot, but just enough to feel relaxed. The knots in my muscles undid themselves, and the stiffness went away.

"Ah, hot baths really do feel nice," I sighed. I scrubbed off the dirt from my skin, along with the remnants of whatever bathroom and fountain water still remained.

As much as I didn't want to get out of the tub, I knew Kiryuu-kun would be waiting for me, so I quickly dried myself off and slid into the clothes I was given to change into. The shirt was a bit long, looking like a tunic instead, and the pants were a little too loose, so I just made do with my underthings and the shirt. I quickly took the belt from the pants and buckled in around my waist to make the shirt fit better.

I gathered the pants and my old clothes and walked into the main room, noticing that Kiryuu-kun was sitting up on the bed, reading a book. I didn't want to disturb him, so I quietly folded my uniform and the pants and placed them in the closet I was assigned to.

I turned around and found my self just inches away from Kiryuu-kun's face. I wasn't sure how he'd come over to me so fast and so silently, but I didn't ponder it too much. His eyes were intense, as if staring into my soul.

"Um, Kiryuu-kun? Is something wrong?" I asked as he placed his head on my shoulder.

He backed away, shaking his head as if just coming out of a trance. "No, it's nothing." There was a slight pause, then he said, "I'm going to see if I can get you some food. You should rest some more." He left without another word.

I looked at the door even after he left, thinking about what just happened.

"Maybe he's just going through a lot of stress," I said to myself, and brushed it aside. I trudged my way to the bed I'd slept in before, and then it happened again.

I felt as if I was suddenly encased in ice, unable to move. My body wouldn't listen to me, staying in place no matter how much I tried to force it to walk towards the bed. My legs gave way, and I collapsed in a heap on the floor.

It was probably more painful because I was conscious, but as soon as I hit the floor I knew I broke something; that, or I just hit my head really hard. I lay there, looking around but unable to move.

"What's happening to me?" I thought. "Someone, please help."

I heard the sound of footsteps that grew closer and louder. I tried to scream, to get their attention, but my voice wouldn't come out. The door opened, and a pair of legs walked in, froze, walked off into the room and came back running.

"Oi, Hitomi!" Crouching down, Kiryuu-kun's face came into view, looking at me with a mixture of panic and worry. "What happened?"

I wanted to tell him, but I just opened my mouth and closed it again in silence.

"I'm taking you to the infirmary," Kiryuu-kun lifted me up in his arms and ran out the door without another word.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I felt that I was moving; it was more like floating or gliding through the air, but I didn't give it too much thought. I concentrated on breathing instead.

The rest of it was a blur, just an array of colors passing by, blending together. When I came to, I was surrounded by white. I still couldn't move, but based on what Kiryuu-kun had said, I was in the infirmary.

Kiryuu-kun suddenly came into view. "You okay?" He asked. "You've been out for a few hours, but thank God it wasn't as serious as I thought it would be."

I know he was trying to cheer me up, but I could see the slightest bit of sadness in his eyes, as if he knew something about my future.

"Thank you, Kiryuu-kun. You should go back to the dorms. I'll leave as soon as I can move again." I didn't want to burden him any more than I already had, but a small part of me didn't want him to go.

"Are you sure? It's pretty late. All the extracurricular clubs have ended already, so there's no one else here."

I smiled. "I'll be fine. You probably have a lot to do, right?" I asked. "I don't want you to get into trouble."

He stared at me, right into me eyes, as if to decipher what I was actually thinking. It was funny; I was captivated and scared of those piercing lilac eyes that held no emotion.

Kiryuu-kun stood back up. "Be careful," he said. "You shouldn't be out in the night too long. It's more dangerous than you think."

I nodded. "I'll keep that in mind," I replied as he left, closing the door behind him.

I could gradually feel the numbness fade, but it was slow, almost torturously so. I was able to move my head, so I took the opportunity to look around.

The infirmary wasn't small, but it wasn't too big either. There were simple beds neatly made with crisply ironed sheets with a rollable chair at each bed. In the corner nearest to the sliding door was the nurse's office desk, organized with files and a modern desktop computer. It wasn't much, but it was more sophisticated than the infirmaries I've seen. Sitting at the office desk was a man in a white coat, who I assumed was the school doctor. He came over to my bedside and started checking my vitals.

"You seem to be more or less okay," he said. "You didn't break any bones from the fall, but you should still get some rest to prevent any physical trauma."

I nodded. "Yes, Mr…."

"Matsuda," he said.

"Yes, Matsuda-san,"I finished.

He placed my hand back on my stomach. "Your vitals are fine. Let me know when you can move again and I'll help you up."

"Thank you, sensei. Once I can move, I should head back to the dorms though. I don't want to worry Kiryuu-kun any more than I already have," I said politely.

"Just be careful. Are you sure you don't want an escort?"

"Yes, I'll be fine, sensei. Thank you for your concern."

With that Matsuda-san went back to his desk and started looking through the files that were there. I wasn't too curious as to what was inside the files, and I didn't really care, either; it wasn't my business anyway.

The numbness went away soon after, and I slowly sat up on the bed. As soon as Matsuda-san saw I was up, he helped me to my feet.

"I'm sorry to have taken so much of your time, sensei. You must have been wanting to go home as soon as possible," I apologized.

Matsuda-san smiled. "No worries," he replied. "I'm always on duty when it comes to the welfare of the students."

"Thanks you again, sensei." I bowed and made my way outside after closing the door behind me. I started walking back to the dorm, and almost fell because I wasn't used to being on my feet yet. I took it slow and allowed myself to feel my feet first before walking too fast. I took a step and felt a dull pain in my leg. Looking down, I saw that there was a small cut on my knee, probably from when I hit it onto the bed post. I touched the cut and saw a tiny bit of blood on my fingers, but didn't think anything of it and kept walking.

I was almost at the dorm entrance when I heard the sound of rustling leaves. I whirled around to find myself inches from another face.

"Well, what do we have here?" it said. The face pulled back a little and studied me with its eyes.

"Come on, Aido,let's not get into trouble again," said a voice behind the person in front of me. Both of them were clearly male, I just hadn't realized it until the seconds before.

"You must be new here," the one whose name was Aido remarked. "I'm Hanabusa Aido. Pleased to meet your acquaintance." He bowed while reaching and kissing my hand.

"Akatsuki Kain," said the man behind him.

"Takeshima Hitomi," I said almost rigidly. My instincts were telling me to run away screaming and flailing my arms, but the presence of these two men seemed to freeze me where I was. Then my legs gave way and I fell on my butt.

"Hitomi-chan, you look so wonderful. So _divine_." Aido looked at the cut on my leg as he crouched down. "Oh dear, your lovely skin's been injured," he touched the cut and held his fingers to his face. He then… licked his fingers? After that his eyes turn a deep blood red, and my fear system was in hyperdrive, but I couldn't process it. I jerked away and stood up as quickly as I could.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, but I really must be heading back," I rushed toward the door, but suddenly my feet were literally frozen in place. I looked back to see the source of the ice was Aido.

"Please, let me give you a welcome gift, Hitomi-chan." He took my hand again and flipped it over, exposing my palm. He brought it closer to his face and licked my wrist. Poking out of his mouth were… _fangs?_ He slowly opened his mouth and bit my wrist. Hard.

I gasped from the pain and tried to pull away, but I felt myself growing weaker and weaker as Aido drank.

There was a gunshot, causing Aido to rapidly let go and move as far away as possible. The ice was gone and I fell on my butt again on the stairs outside the dorm entrance .

"Hanabusa Aido, you know it's against school rules to drink blood on the premises," a familiar voice yelled. I turned to the source of the voice and gunshot to see Kiryuu-kun, angry as hell.

"Relax, Kiryuu-kun. I was just saying hello," Aido remarked.

Kiryuu-kun aimed his gun right at Aido, dead serious. "There won't be another warning," he growled.

"Come on, Aido, let's go." Akatsuki dragged Aido away from Kiryuu-kun and me, then they both disappeared from sight.

Kiryuu-kun ran over to me as soon as they'd gone. "Hey, Takeshima, stay with me. Don't pass out again!" his eyes drifted unconsciously to my wrist and I saw his eyes turn a slight tinge of red, just as Aido's had.

"Kiryuu-kun, what's happening? Who are they? And why did one of them _bite_ me?" I was close to hysteria as the fear let itself show, but I kept it at bay so I wouldn't lose it.

Kiryuu-kun ripped off a section of his shirt and started to bandage my wrist. "This is only temporary," he said. "Once we get to the room, I'll get the emergency kit and bandage it properly there. Just hang in there, okay, Takeshima?"

I nodded weakly, still trying to process what had just happened. Kiryuu-kun lifted me into his arms again and ran to the room, lay me on my bed, and grabbed the emergency kit. Then he started to properly bandage my wrist.

As he was wrapping the bandage, something went off in my mind and I said it,

"Kiryuu-kun, can I not have my memory erased?" I asked. It was on a whim, and I had no idea if that was even possible, but considering what had just happened in the past hour, it suddenly wasn't so crazy of an idea anymore.

Kiryuu-kun looked at me straight in the eye. "Why?" he asked.

"I… don't want someone to control what I experience in my life. I think this is an important experience that I definitely learned from. Please, don't make me make the same mistake twice." I pleaded, my eyes filled with sincerity.

Kiryuu-kun started at me long and hard before making a decision.

"... Okay, I won't erase your memories, but you _have _to keep this a secret from the entire school. The only people that know are you, me, Yuuki, and the Headmaster. That's it. If you say anything, you'll get your memory wiped. Got it?"

"Absolutely," I answered. "I won't tell a soul." I hesitated before continuing. "... Kiryuu-kun…. are you… like them? Are you… the same thing?"

He looked at me with a mix of sadness and anger. "Yeah," he said. "I am. Are you scared?" He put his face close to mine and my eyes met his.

I shook my head. "No, I'm not. Because I know you wouldn't do the same thing. You're a good guy, not a bad one." I whispered before I instinctively hugged him. I could tell he wasn't expecting it.

"Hey, Takeshima, what are you–"

"Please, just let me be like this. You have no idea how scared I was when it happened. I thought I was going to die if you hadn't come then. Thank you so much for saving me, Kiryuu-kun." I cried so hard and got my tears all over his shirt, but he didn't say anything; he just let me cry it out without any judgment. I can say I haven't cried that hard since my father died all those years ago, and it felt oddly relieving to cry now, let the feelings I'd bottled up inside just pour out. I felt the weight of it ease off my shoulders and let me start over again.

Which is exactly what I'd do.

* * *

A/N: And there you have it! Please look forward to the next chapter!


	3. One Life to Live -Chapter 3-

A/N: I'M BACK! Please enjoy Chapter 3 of One Life to Live!

* * *

Recap:

"Please, just let me be like this. You have no idea how scared I was when it happened. I thought I was going to die if you hadn't come then. Thank you so much for saving me, Kiryuu-kun." I cried so hard and got my tears all over his shirt, but he didn't say anything; he just let me cry it out without any judgment. I can say I haven't cried that hard since my father died all those years ago, and it felt oddly relieving to cry now, let the feelings I'd bottled up inside just pour out. I felt the weight of it ease off my shoulders and let me start over again.

Which is exactly what I'd do.

* * *

After the incident with Aido, Hanabusa and Kiryuu-kun, I carried on like nothing happened; I was my good old self again. Kiryuu-kun might have thought it was weird for me to not be more traumatized by what I'd seen, but I didn't let it get to me. I wasn't in denial, just accepted what happened and moved on.

For the first time in a while, I was ready to go to classes at Cross. I was placed in the Day Class, for now-obvious reasons, and decided to take the opportunity to make friends.

"Hey, Takeshima, if you keep standing in front of the mirror, I'm leaving without you," Kiryuu-kun called from outside the bathroom door.

"Coming!" I called back. "I'm almost done." I looked again in the mirror and rest my hands on the sink ledge.

_Okay, this is it._ I thought to myself. _You can do this._ I took a deep breath and looked straight at my reflection. _Today's your first day at Cross. You can start over and let the past be behind you. You can do it. Believe in yourself._

"Oi, Takeshima!" Kiryuu-kun knocked on the door, this time more impatiently.

I fixed my hair and opened the bathroom door to find Kiryuu-kun standing so close I almost bumped into him.

"Wah!" I stopped myself before I ran into him and looked up. "Kiryuu-kun, don't stand so close to the door!"

He stepped back and looked down at me. "Then don't spend so much time in the bathroom. We're going to be late." He started toward the door.

"Wait for me!" I yelled as I grabbed my bag and ran after him, closing the door behind me.

The hallways were even more crowded than I thought they would be; at least, I pictured them to be as crowded as my old school, but I was clearly wrong.

Students bustled around in all directions, trying to get to morning homeroom before the bell rang.

_I guess this school is relatively normal,_ I thought, _minus the vampire thing, but yeah…._

I would have walked right past my homeroom if Kiryuu-kun didn't grab my arm and pulled me back.

"Oi, pay attention," he said under his breath.

"Sorry," I replied softly, and followed him into the classroom.

The homeroom teacher immediately noticed and smiled at me.

"Oh, a new face," he merely glanced at me and shifted his eyes to Kiryuu-kun, then back to me.

"Just introduce yourself to everyone when class starts," the teacher sounded bored.

"Yes, of course, Mr…."

"Yagari. It's Yagari."

"Yes, Yagari-sensei," I bowed slightly as I answered.

While I was talking with Yagari-sensei, Kiryuu-kun had gone to his seat. I noticed that nobody sat next to him, which was odd but understandable, considering the atmosphere he usually emitted.

Soon after the bell rang and everyone rushed to their seats, with the space next to Kiryuu-kun still left empty.

"Alright, everyone. Settle down," Yagari-sensei let out a small sigh. "We have a new student in the class," he looked at me. "Go ahead and introduce yourself."

"Yes, sir." I bowed a little to him and faced the rest of the class. "Hello, everyone! Pleased to meet you all. I'm Hitomi Takeshima. I know I've just gotten here but I hope to get along with you all! Please take care of me!" I bowed to the class.

"Unfortunately there aren't any seats available, so you'll have to make do and sit next to Kiryuu for now." Yagari-sensei gestured to the empty space next to Kiryuu-kun.

"That's all right. I don't mind," I replied, and made my way next to Kiryuu-kun.

"It's best if you don't talk to me during class," he said under his breath so only I could hear, "if you don't want anyone picking on you here."

"It's fine, Kiryuu-kun," I replied silently. "I can still make friends here even if I talk to you."

Kiryuu-kun gave a minute smirk. "Suit yourself," he remarked and proceeded to support his chin on his hand as if he was paying attention to Yagari-sensei's lecture; he was asleep within seconds.

I saw him doze off and covered a small smile, then pulled out my notebook for taking notes in class.

As Yagari-sensei's lecture went on, I continued to take notes while also filling the page's margins with nonsensical doodles when a thought suddenly crossed my mind: I should write a diary entry now.

I reached into my bag and pulled out my new diary and looked at the cover.

This diary was one I happened to find in the back of a bookstore in town when I went with Kiryuu-kun and Yuuki as soon as I'd recovered from my collapse (and getting bitten by Aido-san). I also managed to get it for a cheaper price because the store owner felt bad for me after I told him what happened to my original diary. It looked the exact same as my first diary, but I knew that my first diary would be much more meaningful than the diaries that came afterward.

Is what I say, but this diary had a special importance to me; it was the first diary I had since transferring to Cross Academy, one that I would fill with the memories I made here and could look back at in case I lost them.

While still paying attention to Yagari-sensei''s lecture, I started to write.

**April 7, 10:00 AM**

**Nikki-e,**

**I'm sorry it's been so long. Things have happened and I've only just recovered. I thought Cross Academy was just like Tori High, but it's nothing close. The school is much bigger, and the student body even more so. There are only two groups of classes: Day and Night, and the thing that weirds me out the most is that the Night Class students are actually... well, "night students." I have a feeling I should be scared knowing, but for some it doesn't bother me so much.**

**Thankfully, nothing else has happened since the incident with Aido-san, but you'd think that the girls in the Day Class would know. Instead, they adore the Night Class, and always crowd on the sides of the path all the way from the Moon Dorms to the gates of the main building, cheering on their favorite Night Class students as they walk by. They're so loud that it still hurts my ears even when I'm 10 feet away. I feel bad for Yuuki because she has to deal with all of them, but Kiryuu-kun generally controls everyone with his usual scary self, so things don't get out of hand. It's pretty funny to watch all the girls suddenly stop yelling when he glares at them.**

**Anyway, I'm really looking forward to my school life here at Cross. Class is almost done now, so I'll end it here for now. Until next time!**

I closed the diary and continued to take the last bit of notes that was on the chalkboard before the bell rang.

"I'm surprised you can multitask so well," the voice next to me was so sudden I nearly jumped out of my chair.

"Kiryuu-kun! Since when were you awake?" I asked as I got my heart rate back down.

"Since just before the bell rang," he rubbed his eyes to make his grogginess go away and let out a small yawn that exposed the tip of his fangs.

"Oh, yeah, that thing you gave me before I passed out the other day, what was it?" I don't know why the question formed in my head, but as soon as I said it I added, "But tell me when we get back to the dorms. I know this isn't the right place to ask that."

"I'm on patrol, so I won't be back until late. Don't wait up for me." he was curt in his response.

"Uh, okay," I replied. I packed my things and stood up to smoothen out any wrinkles in my uniform. "I'll be back. I'm just going to get some fresh air. It's so stifling, sitting in a classroom for three hours straight."

Kiryuu-kun immediately stood up. "I'll go with you, in case something happens."

I smiled. "Relax, all the Night Class students are asleep now aren't they? They wouldn't come out during the day."

He stared at me for a good minute, trying to contemplate if he should argue or not, then sat back down and laid his head on the desk. "Okay, but call me if anything happens," he said.

"Roger!" I saluted and walked out the door into the main courtyard.

The courtyard was much bigger than my old school's, and much more elegantly laid out too. As soon as I stepped onto the pavement I felt a sense of relief wash over me. It looked like something that came out of a Harry Potter book; I know this sounds cliche, but it was was definitely magical.

I sat on a nearby bench and pulled out a water bottle from my bag and drank a few sips before placing it back in the bag.

"It feels really nice," I sighed as I lay down. There was a light breeze that felt cool as it passed though my hair that felt oddly calming.

I guess I fell asleep on the bench, because I was startled awake by the loud bell ringing that signaled the start of afternoon classes.

"Shit! I'm gonna be late!" I ran as fast as I could back to the classroom and made it back before the bell ended, so I was safe.

"At least you made it," Yagari-sensei remarked.

"Sorry," I said softly as I bowed and made my way to my seat.

"You look like a mess," Kiyuu-kun said as I sat down.

"Gee, thanks." I replied sarcastically. I shook out any leaves or branches from my hair lightly so I wouldn't attract too much attention, then felt a small tug at my hair from the side.

"What are you-" I started to ask but realized it was Kiryuu-kun helping me with my hair.

"Don't take it the wrong way. I have appearance standards for my roommate to keep up in public," he hastily added, which made me laugh a little.

"I believe you, Kiryuu-kun. It's fine. You're probably still tired, so go to sleep. I'll take notes for you," I offered.

He looked at me hesitantly. "Okay," he said after a long pause. "Wake me up when class is almost done."

"Will do," I replied as I pulled out my notebook and started taking notes. As soon as I pulled out my notebook I could hear Kiryuu-kun's soft, steady breaths.

_Damn, he falls asleep fast._ I thought.

Class went on for another three hours before we were done for the day, so I woke Kiryuu-kun five minutes before the bell rang to give him some time to actually be awake.

"So what happens now?" I asked Kiryuu-kun as he let out another yawn.

"Well, now is club activities until the sun starts to set, then Day and Night Classes switch, which starts off my Guardian duties." he replied.

"Club activities..." I said to myself. Suddenly an idea set off in my head. "Hey, Kiryuu-kun, is there an archery club here?"

"Of course. Why?"

"Oh, I did archery before I transferred, so I was thinking if it was possible to join here, even though school's already started."

"I don't see why not," he said. "You should go check out their practice and see. Our archery club is pretty competitive, so it might be hard to get in."

"Thanks, Kiryuu-kun. I'll try my best."

Kiryuu-kun quickly pointed out where the archery club's practice was before heading back to the dorms to probably get ready for patrolling all night, so I said my goodbyes in the classroom and then headed toward club practice.

Now, when I say archery, I mean tradition Japanese archery (though I also do regular archery, too). I used to do both in middle school, but I liked tradition archery more, so I planned on continuing that in high school, but, you know, things happened.

I managed to find the practice area without getting lost, and stood in front of the sliding door entrance.

I took a deep breath and slid the door open.

"Pardon the intrusion!" I called as I entered.

A head poked out from the other side of the hallway/

"Oh, hello! You're the new transfer student, right?" she asked..

"Um, yeah, I am. Pleased to meet you," I said as I bowed slightly in greeting.

"Oh, pleased to meet you too!" she bowed back. "Are you interested in joining the club?"

"Yes, I am. Sorry if it's so last minute. I know school started already." I bowed slightly again in apology.

"No worries!" she replied. "We're always looking for new members. Come on, why don't you see our practice?"

"Thank you," I said, and walked into the practice hall.

The practice area was a large, open space on one side that had targets lined up roughly 15 meters from the standing area, with the wall at the back holding all the equipment ranging from bows and practice arrows to arm guards and sights. Members were already lined up at the standing area and shooting the targets at the far end of the open space.

One the members came out of the changing room and noticed me looking at the bows in awe.

"Can I help you with something?" he asked.

I turned to look at him and tried to respond. "Oh! Um, well..."

The girls who greeted me earlier saved me. "She's here to try out for the club, Captain!"

The captain scrutinized me from top to bottom. "Let's see how you do," he said.

"Um, okay." I said as he handed me all the equipment.

"You know how to assemble these, right?" he asked.

"Yes, I do." I replied and started to put the bow together fairly quickly.

"That's impressive," the captain as soon as I was done.

"I started learning in middle school," I said shyly.

"An early start does no harm," he smiled.

_Jesus, the captain's _really_ hot._ I thought.

"Stand over here," he said, bringing me back to reality.

I walked over to the spot he pointed and took a deep breath.

"Whenever you're ready," the captain said calmly.

I took another deep breath, placed the arrow on the arrow rest, raised the bow, and pulled the arrow back with the string.

_Steady, now._ I thought to myself. _You can do this. It's just like middle school._ I lined up the arrow to the target, braced myself, and let go of the arrow, and help my breath to see where it would hit the target.

* * *

A/N: That's Chapter 3! Sorry I haven't updated in a while! I'm in the last stretch of final exams! Once those are out of the way I should be free enough to update! Please look forward to Chapter 4!


	4. One Life to Live -Chapter 4-

A/N: YAY CHAPTER FOUR WOOT. Now that I'm on summer break I hope to get loads done and try to update more. Anyways please enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Recap:

_Steady, now._ I thought to myself. _You can do this. It's just like middle school._ I lined up the arrow to the target, braced myself, and let go of the arrow, and help my breath to see where it would hit the target.

* * *

The captain spent the next couple seconds looking back and forth between me and the target I just shot at.

"Were you always like this?" he asked, confused about how to to analyze the results.

"I guess. That's not a bad thing, is it?" I asked hesitantly.

"No, no, of course not. I mean, I'm pretty surprised you didn't come to the club sooner."

"Well, things got sort of... complicated, but I'm here now." I shrugged.

"You're definitely joining the club, _and_ as a regular starter."

I practically jumped with excitement. "Really? Is it really okay?"

"Of course! Just fill out the club membership form and you're all set," the captain handed me a slip of paper.

"Thank you so much!" I bowed repeatedly as I took the paper from him and glanced at the clock on the wall. "Oh, it's already that late! I should head back to the dorms. Thank you again! I'll definitely work hard!" I bowed again and made my way toward the door.

"Ah, hold on a sec, Takeshima-san. I'll take you to the dorms. It's dangerous for you to go out alone this late at night," the captain offered.

"Oh! That's too much trouble! I'll be fine," I replied, but the captain insisted on taking me back, so I let it slide and waited for him to change before heading out to the Sun Dorms.

The walk there was quiet, not that I minded, and the captain and I had our fair share of conversation along the way.

"So," he started. "I can assume you're the new transfer student that came, right?"

"Yes, that's right," I replied.

"How is life at Cross? Surely it's much different than your other school."

"Yeah, it takes some getting used to, but I have Yuuki and Kiryuu-kun helping me out."

"Kiryuu, eh?" the captain's voice sounded rigid. I thought I imagined it, but turned to face him anyway. "Why? Is something the matter?"

"No, no. I'm surprised that you've lasted this long being near him, considering how he usually scares the shit out of everyone else."

I rolled my eyes in annoyance. "Kiryuu-kun's not that bad once you get to know him."

The captain stared me dead in the eyes. "I'd be careful around him if I were you," he warned. As he said it I saw the faintest tint of red in his eyes, even in the pitch dark of the night.

My fight-or-flight instincts kicked in again as soon as I saw those eyes. I took a step back.

"I should really get going. It's getting late. I'll see you at practice tomorrow, Captain!"

I took about three steps before he grabbed my hand and suddenly the pathway disappeared beneath my feet and I was in the air for a brief moment before coming down again.

"Sorry, Takeshima. Now that you've seen something you shouldn't have, I can't let you live." All the niceness in the captain's voice was gone, and now that I saw him again he was clearly a vampire.

"But... How... The sunlight..." I stammered.

The captain laughed. "I happen to be a vampire with my light sensitivity genes off, so it doesn't bother me to be in the sun. I blend myself pretty well, don't I?"

I looked at my surroundings and realized we were still on the academy's grounds, which was an immense relief despite the situation I was in.

"And don't think that Level E is going to save you. You mean nothing to him." The captain brought my wrist to his face and exposed his fangs, which stood out a shining white against the nighttime dark.

_Shit._ I thought. _I'm gonna die. Right here. After only a few days as a high schooler. Some life I lived._

The captain was able to just nip my wrist before a loud gunshot was heard.

The captain let out a painful cry and staggered back to look in agony at his arm that had turned to dust.

"I should have know something like you snuck onto school grounds." I recognized Kiryuu-kun's voice as he suddenly appeared behind me and pulled me back away from the captain.

The captain looked at Kiryuu-kun with an intense rage. "You. You'll pay for this!" he screamed and charged at Kiryuu-kun with all his might.

Kiryuu-kun fired again just as the captain's face was merely inches from his own, and the captain disintegrated into dust almost immediately.

Kiryuu-kun his his gun in his jacket and faced me. "Are you okay?" he asked as his eyes went to the bite marks on my wrist.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Kiryuu-kun. It's not as bad as it looks." My voice was a bit shaky, but I felt oddly calm after I realized that this wasn't the first time I experienced this type of attack.

I saw Kiryuu-kun's eyes turn a glowing red the longer he stared at my wrist, but I could tell he was fighting the urge to bite me.

"I should head back to the dorms first then, Kiryuu-kun, since you still have to patrol all night." I quickly broke the silence and started walking towards the dorms.

"I'll go with you. Aido's probably skipping class and roaming around again. Who knows what he'll do this time." He sounded really protective, but I assumed it was just because I was targeted by so many people here it bothered him more than it bothered me.

He glanced at my bleeding wrist again before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a handkerchief. "Here. Just cover your wrist with that until we get there. Your blood's scent is strong enough to reach all the vampires on school grounds. It's nauseating but also hard to resist."

I took the handkerchief and covered my wrist as soon as he said that. "Sorry for how how I can't control what my blood smells like?" I replied.

He gave me an annoyed look. "I'm not saying it's your fault. I'm saying that some of those things don't control themselves as well as they should."

I shrugged. "I understand." Then the conversation from before popped into my head.

"Oh yeah, about what I was asking you before... what was it?"

I could see that he was caught off guard. "What thi- oh, that? That was just an ampoule to clear your senses a bit. You lost a good amount of blood, so I gave you that to make up for the loss. I use it to... control myself when blood tablets don't exactly do the trick." He continued walking and I quickly caught up with him.

"Oh, okay," I replied.

We arrived at the Sun Dorms shortly after.

Kiryuu-kun went up the steps and opened the door.

"After, you," he said.

"Thank you, Kiryuu-kun," I bowed slightly and entered the main hall.

It wasn't too far of a walk, since our room was on the first floor, just at the end of the hall, but I know even that much was a struggle for Kiryuu-kun, who was trying his best to control himself from biting me.

As soon as we reached the door Kiryuu-kun unlocked it and gestured for me to go inside.

"Go on," he said. "I have to get back to patrolling."

I nodded in agreement and entered the room.

"Good night, Kiryuu-kun. I'll see you in class tomorrow. Don't stress yourself out too much," I turned to face him and bowed slightly as I sent him off.

He started walking up back up the hall again when he stopped, then turned back to face me. His expression didn't change, but his eyes gave off a softer vibe.

"What is it, Kiryuu-kun?" I spotted him right before I closed the door, and opened it again in confusion.

"... It's Zero."

"Huh?"

"Just call me Zero," he replied.

"Oh... okay." I was a little taken aback by what he just said.

_Why would he want me to use his first name?_ I asked myself.

"It's just too long for you to call me Kiryuu-kun all the time. Plus it just feels odd to me, being called by my last name when we're... friends. So just call me Zero from now on." With that he left again, this time not turning back.

I closed the door behind me and replayed what had just happened.

"Zero...-kun..." I said, trying to get used to using his first name. I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts.

"Alright, let's go take a hot bath," I told myself. _That should clear my head up,_ I thought.

After getting the bath ready I stripped my uniform and noticed the small bloodstain on the shirt sleeve where the captain had bit me.

I sighed and washed out the stain as best as I could in the sink, since it didn't make sense to take a bath and then get dirty with washing out blood right after.

I took of Zero-kun's handkerchief from my wrist so it wouldn't get dirty, but then I remembered it was probably bloody since it covered the small bite marks on my wrist, so I decided to wash that too.

As I washed the handkerchief and my uniform shirt I kept thinking back to what Zero-kun said after he dropped my off at the room.

_Why would he want me to use his first name? There's no specific reason, is there?_ I caught myself quickly. _No, he said it was because calling him Kiryuu-kun is just an inconvenience, that's all. I'm sure there's nothing more to it than that._ With that I finished and hung the kerchief and shirt on the spare towel rack to dry before finally entering the hot bath.

"Ah, this feels nice," I said to myself. As I sat in the bath I felt my muscles unwind and relax from the tension they'd been holding in. I felt the heat sinking in and didn't realize I had fallen asleep until there was a knock at the door.

I snapped awake and reached for the towel that was beside me before getting out of the bath and wrapping it around me before I felt dizzy and realized too late that I stood up too fast before I collapsed into the floor.

I heard a voice outside the door, which I recognized belonged to Zero-kun, and I realized he was calling my name. I tried to respond, but my voice wouldn't bring itself out. After not hearing a response, Zero-kun banged on the door, and eventually the door came swinging open, though all I could see were a pair of lower legs and feet.

Zero-kun lingered there, as if trying to grasp the situation, then came running to where I was on the bathroom floor. His voice was much louder now that he was closer.

"Hey, Takeshima, what happened? Stay with me!" He shook me a few times in an attempt to get a response, but when he saw I had trouble talking he thought of something else. "Blink if you can hear me," he said.

It took some effort, but after a second or two I blinked in response. As soon as Zero-kun saw me blink he relaxed a little and gave a small sigh of relief.

"I'll take you to the infirmary," he said. "You need to change first, though." As he lifted me up I held onto his shirt and and weakly shook my head.

_All I'm wearing is a towel. This is embarrassing enough already._ I thought.

He stared down at my face, which I knew was blushing. He looked away after realizing what he's just said, and I saw that he was faintly blushing, too.

"Nevermind. I think it's better for both of us if you stay like that," he said as he pulled the blanket off the bed and wrapped it around me. "But that doesn't mean you should catch a cold," he added before hoisting me up again and running to the infirmary.

The way there was kind of hazy, partly from because I was dizzy and partly because I felt super weak, like my body wouldn't listen to me, but eventually we made it.

Surprisingly the doctor was still there, but then again I didn't know what time it was since I''d fallen asleep in the bath, so it also seemed like he was there during normal infirmary hours.

"Oh, hello Kir- _Good Lord, what happened?_" the doctor's voice was filled with concern and alarm as soon as he saw me.

"I found her collapsed in our dorm bathroom. For some reason she has trouble talking and these collapses have been happening a lot lately," Zero-kun's words came out in a rush as he followed the doctor to and empty bed and set me down.

"Did you hear her fall, Kiryuu?" the doctor asked as he checked my head for any trauma from the fall.

"I just heard a loud 'thud,' but I don't think she hit her head when she fell," Zero-kun replied.

"I see. Yeah, no concussion, but I have to check her for bruises," the doctor started to unwrap the blanket when Zero-kun's hand suddenly grabbed his.

"I think a nurse should do that instead," Zero-kun's voice was hard and he stared the doctor dead in his eyes.

The doctor smiled softly. "I understand. I'll send for a nurse right away. You can stay with her if you'd like," the doctor left after that, and the infirmary was silent for a few moments.

I felt myself slipping in and out of consciousness, and finally I was too tired and weak to stay awake any longer. I let myself fall asleep, and the last thing I saw was a tinge of red in a sea of lilac.

* * *

A/N: And there it is! I'm so sorry it took so long to get this done, I've just been travelling a lot and didn't have time to sit down and finish this chapter until now. Please look forward to Chapter 5!


	5. One Life to Live -Chapter 5-

A/N: I'M SO SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN SO LONG. I've been travelling all summer and school just got back into session (2ND YEAR OF COLLEGE WOOT). Here's the long-awaited Chapter 5 of One Life to Live!

* * *

Recap:

I felt myself slipping in and out of consciousness, and finally I was too tired and weak to stay awake any longer. I let myself fall asleep, and the last thing I saw was a tinge of red in a sea of lilac.

* * *

Zero watched as Hitomi slowly lost consciousness on the infirmary bed.

"Hey, Take-..." He decided it was best for her to just sleep; she really deserved it after what had just happened. He sat on the chair beside the bed and continued to watch over her until the nurse arrived. His eyes drifted to the veins on her neck and he could see his vision turn just the slightest tinge of red.

Zero closed his eyes and tried to push down his thirst. He knew he couldn't do that to her, because he didn't, no, he _couldn't_ accept the monster he was, the monster he so hated. It would also put her in danger, because he feared he wouldn't be able to let go of her until he sucked her dry of the blood that smelled so sweet inside her veins.

His thoughts were interrupted by the infirmary door as it slid open and the nurse walked towards the bed.

"Oh, hello, Kiryuu-kun. What brings you- _Dear Lord what happened?_" the nurse asked as she saw Takeshima bundled up in a blanket, basically naked.

"She fell and hit her head in the bathroom," Zero replied. "The doctor said she doesn't have a concussion, though."

"Ah, I see. I'm going to have to check for bruising everywhere else, so if you would Kiryuu-kun, please step outside for a little bit."

"Yes, ma'am." Zero looked at Takeshima one last time before walking out the door and waiting in the hallway.

* * *

I was running, though I couldn't see where I was going. I still ran, as if that was the only thing I could do. I couldn't see what was chasing me, even when I looked back.

Suddenly there was a figure in front of me, wearing a Night Class uniform. He had shoulder-length brown hair, and his face had sharp features. But none of that mattered. All that stood out to me was the glowing red of his eyes.

"It seems you know what I am," his voice was like melted chocolate, and to me that make him scarier.

"Who are you?" I asked. "Why are you here?

"As you can see, I am a member of the Night Class, so you'll have an opportunity to meet me soon, if fate allows," he replied.

I thought back to when Zero-kun was on Guardian duty during the class switch, and went through each Night Class member that walked by.

I didn't have to go very far, because right in the front, the first person walking, was the same person who was standing in front of me right now.

"Kaname Kuran..." I whispered.

He smirked. "There we go. I knew you knew who I was," he said. "As to why I'm here, I think you know already," his eyes glowed a brighter red and I could see his fangs just poking out from his mouth.

"I must say, you're very quick at catching on. It's a shame that you won't be able to use that smart head of yours anymore. Your blood is just too sweet to give to someone else," he inhaled deeply, as if taking in the smell of my blood before digging in.

"I'm quite jealous, though. Two vampires have already had a taste of your blood before I, a Pureblood, have had the honor myself. I'll have to deal with Aido later, and I'm glad that the Kiryuu boy got rid of the other one for me. That gives me more time to spend with you," he said as he glided towards me.

The next thing I knew I felt an immense pain in my neck that left me voiceless. I grabbed at Kuran to get him off, but the strength left my body with each struggling attempt. I felt myself go numb and everything went black.

* * *

I bolted awake and upright so quickly I had to take a minute to adjust to my surroundings. I felt a cold sweat drench my body and found myself shivering and wondered why, but then I remember that I fell in the bathroom and hit my head pretty hard.

"Takeshima, calm down, you're in the infirmary," I heard a familiar voice coming from next to me, saw that Zero-kun was holding my wrists. I gave him a confused look and then realized that I had been flailing everywhere and screaming as soon as I woke up.

"Oh, Zero-kun, what are you... Oh, I'm so sorry. What..." I tried to form sentences but they wouldn't come out of my mouth the right way.

"I just took you to the infirmary, since you hit your head pretty hard. The nurse changed you and checked you to make sure you were okay, don't worry," he added as he saw my face turn pale from remembering I was only wearing a towel before I fell on the bathroom floor.

I let out a sigh of relief. "What did the nurse say?" I asked.

"You don't have any external injuries for now, which is a relief, but she said later you might experience post impact trauma that'll last for a couple of weeks," he replied as he let go of my hands.

"Oh, okay..." I managed to say as my hand absent-mindedly went started to feel around my neckline, surprised to find no bite marks there; the pain had felt so real I thought the wounds would be there, even from a dream.

"Takeshima, you okay?" Zero-kun's question snapped me back to reality.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I answered as I quickly removed my hand from my neck. "Just feeling a little out of it," I gave him a small smile of reassurance.

He looked at me like he didn't buy it (and rightfully so), but didn't say anything.

"You're going to have to stay here a few more days so the nurse can monitor you, but don't worry about missing notes in class," he said.

"Why? I'm pretty sure that the lectures are important," I replied.

"I don't really see the point in them, but if you're that committed, I'll ask Yuuki's friend if she can get the notes for you."

"Thank you, Zero-kun," I let out a sigh of relief. Despite everything that happened, I felt it still wasn't an excuse to get behind on schoolwork. I mean, I just transferred here, but I don't want to be _that guy_ who thinks they can slack off for that sole reason.

"You don't need the suffix all the time. Just call me Zero," he said.

"I'll try, though don't be surprised if I add a suffix," I warned.

"Well, so what you want," he shrugged.

I wanted to give him the 'what-the-fuck' face, but I decided to drop the topic and rolled my eyes instead, since I didn't want to annoy him too much, especially after he kind of saved my life.

"You should rest some more. Let me know if you need anything," he got up and started to leave, then hesitated again before heading out the door.

"Okay, I will. You take care of yourself, too, Zero," I added before he left.

After he left I laid back down and just stared at the ceiling, thinking to myself how I ended up in this mess.

I turned to my side and looked out the window, watching the trees sway back and forth as a light breeze blew by. It reminded me of a slow waltz, with dancers moving back and forth in a graceful manner.

_I wonder if Cross has any dances throughout the year,_ i thought. It seemed like something that would happen at this school, considering how Victorian it looked.

I sighed and tried to push my thoughts away, wanting to get a little more rest.

* * *

A/N: I'm sorry this chapter is so short and it seems like absolutely nothing has happened at all, but please don't worry! I'll make the next chapter more eventful (but really, who gives everything away right in the beginning of the story?) Please look forward to Chapter 6!


	6. One Life to Live -Chapter 6-

A/N: HELLO LOVELIES, I'M SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING FOR 50 YEARS. I've been so busy with college (pre-med student, yay) that I haven't had the time or the energy to update this. But now that I'm on summer break, THAT'S ABOUT TO CHANGE. I will do my best to update over summer break, but I am also taking classes over the summer and working part-time, so please bear with me! Now, without further ado, HERE'S CHAPTER 6!

* * *

Recap:

After he left I laid back down and just stared at the ceiling, thinking to myself how I ended up in this mess.

I turned to my side and looked out the window, watching the trees sway back and forth as a light breeze blew by. It reminded me of a slow waltz, with dancers moving back and forth in a graceful manner.

_I wonder if Cross has any dances throughout the year,_ i thought. It seemed like something that would happen at this school, considering how Victorian it looked.

I sighed and tried to push my thoughts away, wanting to get a little more rest.

* * *

The sun peered through the sheer curtains of the infirmary window, jerking me awake. I rolled over to avoid the light and almost screamed at the sight of a really blurry face just inches from mine.

"Oh, looks like you're awake. Good morning, Hitomi!" Yuuki sat up and smiled while I took a second to recover from waking up that fast. The surprise I felt made me sit up too quickly, which sent my head reeling from dizziness. I placed my head on my knees and let the dizziness subside before looking back her with a death glare.

"Next time I'd like to be woken up a little less lively," I complained. "Geez, I almost died. _Again_."

"Sorry," she game me a sheepish grin. "I was going to poke you awake but you turned, so I didn't get to sit up in time."

"It's fine," I replied, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. "What time is it anyway?"

"It's lunch break right now. I wasn't sure how hungry you'd be so I just got you some bread and milk. I hope you don't mind." Yuuki handed me the packaged bread and milk carton.

"Thanks." I took the bread and milk from her, "This is just what I needed. I'll pay you back when I can."

"No worries, I don't pay for my meals anyway," she smiled.

"Oh," I said as I ate. I knew I couldn't just swallow it all whole; otherwise, I'd get a stomachache and be in the infirmary for a completely different reason. I took small bites of bread with sips of milk in between and I immediately started feeling my energy come back.

"I think I can make it to afternoon classes. I feel so much better after resting so much. Oh, man, I must have missed a lot. Homework's going to bite me." I said in between bites.

"Woah, there, relax. I can ask my roommate for a copy of her notes. They should be able to help you more than if you just looked at the books," Yuuki chimed.

"Thanks, Yuuki! You're a lifesaver!" I hugged her hardly, ignoring her protests and warnings of the milk spilling everywhere.

I finished the bread and milk, then hoop-shot it into the trash can near the door. "All right," I swung my legs over the bed and stood up, steadying myself in case I fell. "I'm going to get ready for afternoon classes. I'll see you later, Yuuki!"

"Later!" she called as I fast-walked back to the dorms. I needed to take a quick shower before class, since I felt really gross from not showering while I was in the infirmary.

I managed to make it to the room without falling or passing out (which seems like all I've been doing, lately) and entered as soon as the bathroom door opened and a top-naked Zero came out, with a towel around his neck.

"Woah, sorry, Zero! I'll wait outside!" I immediately closed the door and leaned against it, contemplating if I should erase what i just saw or keep in engraved in my memory.

The door swung open and I caught myself from falling backwards. Turning around, I saw Zero, still top-half naked, eyeing me carefully.

"Y-yo, Zero-kun!" I raised my hand a little to make a wave hello when he grabbed my wrist suddenly and pulled me inside, closing the door behind me. The movement was so sudden and fast I couldn't help but let out a small, short yelp.

I was against the wall with a semi-loud _thud_ that left a slight throbbing pain in my back, but I was more focused on how dangerously close Zero's face was to my neck, close enough that I could his breath on my skin. As fast as his face was there he pushed himself off, covering his nose.

"You smell really bad," he said with a a look of disgust.

"Yeah, well, I wasn't exactly keeping up with my hygiene when I was in the infirmary, so I'm gonna take a shower now," I replied, and walked to the closet to get my spare uniform and a set of under garments. I walked into the bathroom and noticed Zero's uniform shirt and jacket hanging of the towel rack. With the hanger still on, I took it off the rack and placed it flat on the bed before walking back into the bathroom.

"Finish putting your uniform on. We're going to afternoon classes whether you like it or not," I said before closing the door. I heard him make a short grunt in response, and I took that as a 'yes' before turning the shower on.

I shed the uniform I had on and almost gagged at the smell that it gave as I freed myself from it.

_Oh my god, Zero was right. I smell awful._ I thought before setting the uniform into the hamper and entering the shower and scrubbing every inch of me clean of the dead skin cells and dirt that accumulated over the past few days. By the time I was done I felt refreshed and saw that I was at least half a shade lighter.

_Jeez, that's just gross, _I sighed as I opened the door and saw Zero sitting on his bed, reading a book, before looking up at me.

"Took you long enough," he said. "Come on, we're going to be late." I placed the book down on the nightstand and stood up to walk towards the door.

"You should be more understanding," I replied, "I just had what I consider to be the greatest shower I've ever had after being knocked out in the infirmary for days."

"Maybe it would help if you didn't go the infirmary so much," he retorted.

I gave him a sideways glance and I slipped my socks and shoes on. "I don't tell you how to live _your_ life." I grabbed my school bag before walking towards the door where Zero stood, glaring down at me.

"Well, come on. We're gonna be late," I said mockingly before heading out. I head Zero sigh before closing the door and following me to class.

* * *

A/N: I'M SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG TO WRITE BUT i'M OUT OF MY WRITER'S BLOCK FOR THIS CHAPTER! I was also busier than I thought over the summer so I didn't have as much time to write this chapter as I would have liked. Thank you for waiting for so long, and I'll try to get out of my slump for Chapter 7!


	7. One Life to Live -INTERMISSION TIME-

HELLO, EVERYONE! I'M SORRY FOR BEING GONE FOR SUCH A LONG TIME!

While I'm working on Chapter 7 of OLTL, it occurred to me that I might want a cover image for the story, which is why I'm reaching out to anyone who's interested!

I'm not as artistically inclined as I used to be, so please send any cover image art my way if you'd like to submit it for me to look at and possible choose!

Basic Ground Rules:  
\- Please don't send photo manipulations! This is more of a personal preference, but I really like to imagine characters in my mind based more on descriptions than real people that might not fit the author's description of that character. Of course, since OLTL is an OC insert story, most of the character groundwork is given already.  
\- Any artwork (traditional, line, digital, etc) is completely fine! I really love looking at people art styles, which is why I prefer this type of art over photo manipulations, because it lets me get a glimpse at who artists are as people, which I think is more important that just superimposing pictures on Photoshop (I'm sorry if this comes across as harsh or mean, but this is just one of my pet peeves).  
\- This request isn't limited to users on FanFiction! If any of you have artist friends, please don't hesitate to tell them about this request! Looking at art makes me really happy, and just because someone doesn't have a FanFiction account shouldn't mean they need to be limited on where they can post their art.  
\- *FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO DRAW HITOMI AS PART OF THE COVER IMAGE, PLEASE ASK ME ABOUT SPECIFICS ON HER DESCRIPTION! This is super important, because as my OC, I really want to make sure her depiction is as accurate as possible. This might like a bit much, but please understand that I have this image in my mind about my OC's appearance and personality characteristics (I have a profile ready to go on my external hard drive for those of you message me regarding my OC).

And with that, have at it! I haven't decided when I'll end this little event, but I'll make another post about that when I've made a decision!

I look forward to your submissions (if I get any *nervous laugh*)!


	8. One Life to Live -Chapter 7-

A/N: Hi everyone! I managed to have some time to get Chapter 7 going! This might not be obvious, but I write chapters a little bit at a time, instead of all at once, because that's just too overwhelming for me. This is only a hobby to de-stress from college, especially since it's my MCAT year, so I'll be constantly studying. Please be understanding and enjoy Chapter 7!

* * *

Recap:

"Maybe it would help if you didn't go the infirmary so much," he retorted.

I gave him a sideways glance and I slipped my socks and shoes on. "I don't tell you how to live _your_ life." I grabbed my school bag before walking towards the door where Zero stood, glaring down at me.

"Well, come on. We're gonna be late," I said mockingly before heading out. I heard Zero sigh before closing the door and following me to class.

* * *

It didn't take very long to reach the classroom, and there was still time to spare. I sat in my spot next to Zero and took out my diary to write a quick entry:

**April 8, 1:30 PM**

**Nikki-e,**

**It's been an uneventful (yet rough) few days, but I'm finally back! I've been in and out of the infirmary, for multiple reasons, and it's starting to worry me. I still haven't figured out why I freeze up suddenly, and it's been getting worse. I don't want to jump to conclusions, but I can't help thinking that whatever this is is going to kill me. I'm scared to my wit's end, and I'm not sure what to do.**

**Zero and Yuuki-chan have been taking care of me while I've been in the infirmary. I feel bad that both of them do so much for me, and I don't know how to pay them back for all they've done. Compared to when I first met him, Zero seems... nicer? I'm not sure why, but he's been pretty worried about me, even though he might not show it. It's a bit unusual, but I think it's also kind of cute... Wait, what am I saying?! Ah, class is going to start soon, so I'll write more later.**

I quickly closed the diary and took out my class notes before the teacher came in to start the lesson. Thankfully it wasn't a tough subject for the period, so I could easily take notes without paying too much attention. I glanced at Zero to find he wasn't asleep like he usually was, but looking me with his icy lilac eyes before immediately looking away and resting his head on the desk to avoid my eyes. I looked away as well, focusing instead on the lecture while attempting to hide the blush I felt creeping up on my face.

The rest of class went by uneventfully, and once the teacher left I sat up and stretched to relieve the ache in my back from sitting for too long. I decided to look in Zero's direction one more time, and sure enough he was asleep this time.

_He must really not get enough sleep at night if he's got that much sleep debt..._ I mused to myself as I packed my notebook and pencil case into my bag.

"Hey, Zero, class is over. Wake up," I reached to gently shake him awake when he suddenly opened his eyes, looking straight at me.

"Dammit, Zero, a little warning, please!" I yelped in surprise, but everyone else had just about left, so there was hardly anyone to stare at us.

He sat up and stretched, rubbing the back of his neck to work out the kinks. "What time is it?" he asked, unfazed.

"Four o' clock. I don't know how the teacher didn't see you asleep for the entire class period, but congrats, I guess." I sighed.

"Has it ever occurred to you why people avoid me? I know you're a special case, but in case you haven't noticed, I don't fare well with interpersonal communication," he yawned, and I could just barely see his fangs poking out from his mouth. If I had seen them a a little more than a week ago, I might have flipped my shit, but with the recent events that's I've had to overcome, it didn't faze me that much; in fact, it kind of reminded me of a cat.

I accidentally let out a faint giggle, causing Zero to look at me with a slightly confused look on his face. "What are you laughing at?" he asked.

"Oh, sorry, it's just that you reminded me of a cat just now. That yawn was kind of cute," I answered without thinking and mentally kicked myself for letting myself as soon as the words left my mouth.

"... Don't call me cute. I'm definitely the opposite of that. You of all people should know," he snapped quietly.

"Well, I already did, so too late?" I shrugged. "And I think you were about to say '_worried' _before correcting yourself? You're not getting soft on me, are you?" I teased lightly.

He glared at me intensely. "I don't know what you're talking about," he replied before standing up to stretch. "I have Guardian duty today, so I'll be back late; don't wait for me." He gathered his things (which were alarmingly few) and started towards to door before I caught up and stood in front of him, holding my hands out from my sides to block him.

"Considering what terrible luck I have alone on campus, I think it's a good idea if you take me to the dorms before patrolling, don't you think, Zero? Maybe you can actually be a Guardian instead of having just the title." I hadn't meant it to be demeaning, but the way the words came out of my mouth changed the expression on his face from regular annoyance to a mix of anger, hurt, and hate.

"I didn't mean it like that, though, honest." I quickly added before he could say anything. "I just would rather not run into any Night Class members for a good while."

"You know I'm the same _thing_ as they are, right? Even with me around you, you should be scared." His eyes pierced through me, and I looked away with a mixture of guilt and slight fear.

"You wouldn't do anything, though. You try so hard to be different from them despite being the same. That's why I feel safer with you than with any of them." I said, barely audible, but I knew he would still be able to hear.

There was an uncomfortable silence for a few seconds before I spoke again.

"You know what? Can you forget I said anything? I'll be fine, I can manage. I don't want to mess this up any more than I already have, because you're a really special person to me, and I don't want to ruin that. You'll be late if you walk me back, and I don't want you getting in trouble." I turned around and fast-walked out of the classroom before practically running through the halls, my mind a jumbled mess.

_Oh my god, what the _heck_ did I just say_? I mentally bashed myself before bumping into something that almost sent me falling until my back was supported my a strong arm.

"Sorry! I didn't see y-" I looked up to see that it was Zero who caught me mid-fall before picking myself up and stepping back from him. "S-sorry." I said. I was pretty sure he could hear how fast my heart was racing, but I tried not to care.

"You'll probably kill yourself before those bastards do at this rate," he sighed. "I'll take you to the dorms, since Yuuki understands if I'm late." He turned around and started walking without another word, and it took me a few seconds to calm myself before running to catch up to him.

The walk to the dorms was uneventful, though the distant fangirl screams of the Day Class girls carried pretty well in the silence of the evening, signaling that the classes were switching for the night. No matter how much I thought about it, the whole concept didn't make sense to me. In my eyes, the Night Class, though they had a special beauty to them, were just like anyone else (minus the pointed- no pun intended- differences). But then again, I wasn't concerned with the appearance of a person; to me, who they are as a human being matters more.

"Well, here we are," Zero abruptly broke the silence as we stopped outside the dorm entrance. I jumped a little in surprise, getting lost in my own thoughts as we were walking so I wouldn't think about the awkwardness between us.

"Oh, um, y-yeah. Thanks, Zero. And I'm sorry for what I said before. Really, I am," I said quietly and made my way towards the entrance. As I placed my hand on the door handle, I turned back to see that Zero hadn't left yet.

"Um, good luck on Guardian duty! Night!" I hurriedly opened the door and practically ran inside before closing it again and leaning against it, trying to slow down my heartbeat.

_What's wrong with me today? This is getting really weird,_ I thought before taking a deep breath and made my way to our room.

As soon as I arrived to our dorm room the first thing I wanted to do was take a bath, so I quickly took my shoes off and set my bag on my bed before grabbing my pajamas and heading into the bathroom. The bath filled pretty quickly as I undressed and stepped inside the tub, letting the heat from the water melt all the tightness in my muscles, allowing me to relax.

As I washed away all the dirt from the day, I felt the different wounds that were present on my body from my run-ins with some of the vampires on campus. Thankfully, the marks were healing properly and, with minimal luck, there wouldn't be any scarring. I ran my fingers over each mark, the skin a glossy pink from the natural healing process.

_I think I've had enough of these for a lifetime,_ I sighed as I washed the soap off my body and got out of the bath to dry off and get dressed.

I didn't have the energy to do anything but sleep once I stepped out of the bathroom, but my stomach complained about the lack of sustenance in my system, so I lazily ate a snack bar before moving my bag to the floor and crawling under the covers before easily falling asleep.

* * *

Aido impatiently tapped his finger on the desk, feeling a surge of irritation.

"Man, I wanna go outside. It's so cramped in this classroom," he sighed. The slightest scent of blood was in the air, and he knew all too well whose it was. He reached into his blazer's inner pocket and pulled out a small black box, opened it, and tossed a few pills into his drink, placing the box back into his pocket before watching the tablets dissolve and turn the drink into a pale red.

"Aidou, we literally _just_ changed classes. How do you want to go home already?" Kain remarked. While he wasn't surprised by Aidou's attitude, he couldn't help but feel a tiny pang of thirst at the scent of blood that lightly danced through the air, almost unnoticeable. He also knew whose blood it was, but couldn't bring himself to care; after all, he was just there to make sure his cousin didn't go out of line- he didn't have time to think about some human girl.

"Home? You misunderstand me, Kain. I just wanna see if I'll run into Hitomi-chan again and get another taste of that blood of her's. She's a godsend, I tell you," Aidou picked up his glass and took a small sip of the drink inside. "I guess I'll just have to survive off of these sub-par blood tablets until then," he exaggerated.

"Hanabusa, shut up. If Kaname hears you, you're dead," Kain only worried slightly, but knew that Aidou always got what he was due.

"Man, lighten up a little, I'm just joking," Aidou smirked.

"You know he's right," a female voice interrupted their conversation as she walked up to the two cousins, brushing her long, wavy hair from her neck pompously.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you it's rude to eavesdrop, Ruka?" Aidou retorted.

"It's not eavesdropping if everyone in the room can hear you," she replied.

"Tch, whatever," Aidou crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair. "It's just so boring waiting for Yagari to get here."

Ruka pondered a bit before saying what was on her mind. "So what were you saying about the girl? If you're this restless about her then her blood must be better than that Yuuki chick's."

"You bet it is! I only had a small sip before I was rudely interrupted by that Kiryuu guy. Annoying, meddlesome brat," Aidou muttered.

"To be fair, it _is_ against school rules to suck blood, student or otherwise," Kain pointed out. "You should be thankful that he didn't blow your head off then and there."

Aidou crossed his arm on the desk and laid his head down on top of them. "Ahh, I want more of her blood so badly!" He sat up a moment later and took another sip of the liquid from his glass.

"It's a surprise the rest of the Night Class isn't as restless as you are. Her scent isn't _that_ faint," Kain sniffed the air again lightly, as if to double check if Takeshima's blood really did give off an irresistible scent. Sure enough, it was there, lingering in the air.

"Oh, believe me, Kain. They're restless, but they're too scared of Kaname-sama to show it, so they suffer in silence," Ruka looked around at the other Night Class students, their thirst and discomfort practically tangible.

"And rightfully so," another voice, this time male, interrupted the conversation. This voice was deeper and radiated power over the rest of the Night Class members.

"Oh! Kaname-sama! Didn't see you there! How are you?" Aidou almost jumped in surprised at how suddenly stood next to him.

"Well, but hearing that you broke school rules put me in a sour mood, but I'll deal with it accordingly when we get back to the dorms," Kaname replied, a stern glint in his eyes.

Aidou's expression changed from warm to fear as Yagari entered the classroom to begin the lesson.

"Alright, everyone. The sooner you all quiet down, the sooner we can begin and end this lesson. Despite our obvious conflicts, put that aside and turn to page 38. It's gonna be a long night."

_Tell me about it,_ Aidou thought internally as he opened his textbook and spent the entire lesson dreading what was in store afterwards.

* * *

I was in a dark abyss, though I couldn't tell if I was floating or falling. I tried moving in any direction, but my body didn't want to listen, and when I tried to talk, my voice couldn't come out, despite forming words.

_What the hell? Please tell me this isn't happening again,_ I thought.

"I thought I'd see you again, Hitomi-chan," a voice cut through the darkness, and I jumped a little.

_Kaname? Why is _he _here? _I thought.

"No need to worry, I'm only here to talk, dear," he chuckled. "Though I do plan on draining your blood eventually, but rest assured, you'll be alive for a good while."

_Well, that doesn't give me much comfort,_ I replied sarcastically. In fact, none of this was very assuring, despite it being a dream. I knew Kaname was a vampire, and I could feel an aura much more regal and powerful that the ones I'd felt when I had my unfortunate run-in with Aidou and Kain. _But, thanks, I guess._

"You're welcome," Kaname's voice sounded pleasant, but beneath it was a hint of something dark that chilled me to the bone. If he was like this in a mere dream, I couldn't imagine how he would be in person.

"I don't want to linger here too long, because that Level E will arrive soon, but I wanted you to know this: your blood belongs to me, whether you like it nor not, and I _will_ have every last drop."

I didn't show the fear I felt, but I knew without a doubt that Kaname could practically smell it, and that brought a smile to his face.

"There's no need to fear, dear. I'll be sure to make it as quick and painless as possible." With that he started to fade out and I was alone in the vast abyss again, feeling worse than before.

_If my body doesn't possibly kill me first, then Kaname will,_ I realized.

* * *

A/N: I'M SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG TO FINISH QAQ I promise I'll try to be better at updates! I'm sorry this is a short chapter compared to the others, and that each chapter gets progressively shorter! I've had a small case of Writer's Block and I'm working my way through it. But please look forward to Chapter 8 in the future!


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